Privacy Policy

Effective Date: December 22, 2025
Last Modified: December 22, 2025

1. Introduction

Solo Sojourn Research LLC (“Company,” “we,” “our,” or “we”) operates the https://solosojourn.org web-site and the Solo Sojourn mobile application (collectively, the “Service”). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. The Service is designed as a University of Florida-approved research study; all data-handling practices comply with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations for the protection of human subjects (45 C.F.R. §46) and the Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on on-line privacy.

2. Definitions

• “Personal Data” means any information that identifies, relates to, describes, or could reasonably be linked to an individual.
• “Research Data” means survey answers, in-app activity logs, geolocation information, and any other data collected for the purposes of the IRB-approved research study.
• “Participant” or “you” means any individual who enrolls in the beta-testing program and is age 60 or older.

3. What We Collect

3.1 Information You Voluntarily Provide

• Enrollment form: name, e-mail address, telephone number, age, ZIP code, type of mobile device (iOS/Android), and self-reported RV experience level.
• Baseline, mid-point, and exit surveys: self-efficacy scores, travel intentions, technology acceptance ratings, and optional open-text feedback.
• Gift-card fulfillment: e-mail address required to deliver Amazon electronic gift cards (up to $50 USD per participant).

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device identifiers (Firebase Installation ID, push-token).
• Usage analytics: screens viewed, buttons tapped, time-stamps, session duration.
• Geolocation: approximate region derived from IP address; precise GPS is never collected.
• Log data: browser type, operating system, referring pages, IP address, date/time stamps.

3.3 Sensitive Data

We do not intentionally collect Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, or precise geo-location. If you accidentally send us sensitive information, we will delete it immediately upon discovery.

4. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR reference)

We process Personal Data only when we have a lawful basis:

1. Consent: you expressly opt-in via digital signature during enrollment and may withdraw at any time;
2. Legitimate interests: conducting minimal-risk academic research that benefits public health communication; and
3. Legal obligation: complying with federal research regulations and University of Florida IRB oversight.

5. How We Use Your Data

• To verify eligibility (age 60+, U.S. resident, interested in RV travel).
• To deliver study instructions and send survey links.
• To compensate you with Amazon electronic gift cards.
• To analyze aggregated, de-identified data for scholarly publications.
• To monitor and improve app usability.
• To comply with grant-reporting requirements (National Science Foundation, AARP, etc.).

We never sell Personal Data to third parties or use it for commercial advertising.

6. Data Retention & De-identification

Research Data are retained for seven (7) years after study completion to allow replication analyses, per federal research integrity guidelines. After IRB-approved data-lock, direct identifiers (name, e-mail, telephone) are removed from the analytic data-set and stored separately in an encrypted vault accessible only to the Principal Investigator. Gift-card e-mail addresses are deleted immediately after compensation is delivered.

7. Data Sharing & Third-Party Processors

We share the minimum necessary data with the following service providers under contractual data-protection clauses:

We do not allow any vendor to use data for its own marketing or to re-identify participants.

8. Security Safeguards

• All data in transit use TLS 1.2 or higher.
• Firebase data-at-rest is encrypted with AES-256.
• Participant identifiers are stored in a separate encrypted partition with role-based access.
• Annual penetration testing and vulnerability scans are conducted.
• Company laptops are disk-encrypted and password-protected.

9. Your Rights

As a research participant you may:

• Withdraw from the study at any time without penalty (you will still receive owed compensation);
• Request access to your Personal Data held by us;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Request deletion of non-essential data (some research records must be retained per federal policy);
• Opt-out of future communications unrelated to study compliance.

To exercise any right, e-mail jolene.macfadden@solosojourn.org or call (352) 327-8642. We will respond within 14 days.

10. Children’s Privacy

The Service is intended for individuals aged 60 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If we learn that a minor has enrolled, we will immediately delete the account and all associated data.

11. International Transfers

All data are stored on Google Cloud servers located in the United States. If you reside outside the U.S., you consent to the transfer of your data to the United States for processing.

12. Changes to This Policy

We will post any material changes on this page with an updated “Last Modified” date. Participants will be e-mailed a summary of significant changes. Continued participation after a posted update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

For privacy questions or complaints you may contact:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with the University of Florida IRB at irb2@ufl.edu or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Human Research Protections.

IRB Protocol # (assigned January 2026) • Version 1.0 • Posted 22 Dec 2025